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Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

Originally Posted by benstung

The bloom is about over and lots of bees on the road, but some of ours are not.
anyone else having same problems.

where are your bees and when were they released???

Good morning! I'm a newbee. Get my first 4 packages in less than two weeks. I posted because I am curious about what you asked? Can you explain this to a curious newbee? "On the road"? I hope you don't mind me asking. :-)

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

Happens every year. Some growers just don't want to let go until the last petal falls. There are some hard shells with a bit to go but not much......should be done by the end of the week with these temps.

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

All bloom is complete, as of 3-14-13 posted on blue diamond web site, they will no longer be posting pollination info this season.
We got final release in wasco area today and in my opinion the bloom has been complete for at least a week.

One thing I find simpley ammazing is how many growers do not understand how the trees work, what I have come to learn is that pollination happens within 48 hrs of blossom opening , that is the window of opportunity.

So the saying goes" once the girls pregant, can't get any more , but it's fun trying"

or to simplify it for the growers we could pull the hives out 2 weeks ago and you will have your crop.

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

Originally Posted by LSBees

We are not in California to verify but our grower in Livingston recently told us that this trees are still in bloom?

That's where my bees are and there is very little bloom at all, I was just down there on Saturday. And when I say hardly any bloom, you can count the blooms per tree, and even those "blooms" are just petals hanging on for dear life! Everything that was white a couple weeks ago is green now. Im pulling my hives on Thursday, but only because I didn't have time to do it sooner!

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

Originally Posted by LSPender

All bloom is complete, as of 3-14-13 posted on blue diamond web site, they. ill no longer be posting pollination info this season.
We got final release in wasco area today and in my opinion the bloom has been complete for at least a week.
U

One thing I find simpley ammazing is how many growers do not understand how the trees work, what I have come to learn is that pollination happens within 48 hrs of blossom opening , that is the window of opportunity.

So the saying goes" once the girls pregant, can't get any more , but it's fun trying"

That is one of the main reasons our bees didn't make the trip west for the first time in 8 years. Last year in my area it was a dry bloom...little pollen and nectar. Absolutely nothing for the bees besides almonds. My bees set two weeks after bloom was essentially over until every last pedall dropped. I figure I lost 150k in Summer and orange honey AFTtER taking almond pollination $. We missed two weeks of orange plus most of summer crop as bees had to build back up. First load got released at proper time...big difference in the bees. When I was there the trees were 95 % bloom...release was a month later! CA as I understand it was 500,000 hives short. I'm sure some grower would loved to have had my bees...probably would have averaged 14 frames. If I EVER go back it will be in my contract a release date or grower may keep longer at a cost of 5$ per hive per day! If Growers want bees they better start getting their heads on their shoulders and work with us.

or to simplify it for the growers we could pull the hives out 2 weeks ago and you will have your crop.

Got held up last year two weeks when there was no viable bloom. Trees were in 95% bloom a month before I was released. There was NOTHING in yhT area for the bees to work and they went downhill and were light. That area had a dry bloom with little pollen. Growers need to realize just because there is a pedal doesn't mean anything is viable.I missed two weeks of orange bloom and it took partof summer bloom to get bees back up. After taking almond pollination income I figure I lost 100k net. I. Other words I would have made 100k more staying in the east coast. That's one reason my hives stayed in Florida this year for the first time in 8 years. I'm sure dome grower would love to have had some 12 framers that didn't get bees ( I hear 500,000 good hives short). Its a two way street! If I ever go again there will be a release datein contract that states when trees have reached 99 percent bloom I'm released
Or we may go by in the girls reports on blue diamond. Regardless I will never set two weeks again unless they want to pay me 5 dollars per colony per day! Almond growers need to be educated by brokers...if they want bees they better listen and fix the morons st the border.

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

I included the link for the blue diamond bloom report and I was wanting to know if the blooms in this picture are done. I have bees in buttes and padres off Keyes road and hwy99 in Ceres and I think their done but the orchard owner was shacked when I told him I was wanting to move them out soon. His blooms look a lot like these. Even the blooms pushing out still are stripped of pollen an I don't want them to start starving.

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

I have hives in some late blooming orchards, but last Saturday as far as i could tell it was all over.I couldn't find any flowers that didn't have a tiny nut in the center. A little shake dropped the petals off.

I also saw that every hive had whitened their combs and were full of almond honey, pollen and lots of brood. So I am not worried about starvation for a week or two.

Mine can stay put for awhile. There is still snow in some of my beeyards .

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

Now that were getting a little rain will that wipe out anything that might have been holding on? Are the anthers what the pollen sticks to when the bloom first opens? What will the bees get from these blooms?

Re: Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????

Yes, the anthers are what the pollen sheds from. Typically when it hits a certain temp after the bloom opens, the anthers release the pollen which can then be collected. Not sure what almonds are, but I would assume about 50% of the pollen is released the first day, and the other 50% on day 2. Probably depends more on temperature than anything, hotter days might get full release day 1. But in the pic, you can see they're still bright yellow and shiny, after shed, they look really dry and usually turn a dull color.